He who sat upon the throne said: now God speaks. So in many languages it will be helpful to say “God, who sits on the throne, said….”

Behold: see 1.7.

I make all things new: this is the counterpart of the last statement in verse 4. It is probably better to translate, as do New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, “I am making all things new.”

Also he said, “Write this…”: the Greek text does not say that he was speaking to John, but the context makes this quite clear, and the translation should make it specific, as does Good News Translation: “He also said to me” (see 14.13; 19.9; compare 10.4).

Write this: this probably refers only to verses 1-4, not to the whole book, and may be expressed in certain languages as “the things I have just told you.”

For: this is how most translations render the Greek conjunction; some, however, take it to mean “that”: “Write that these words are….” However, for or “because” are more likely.

These words are trustworthy and true: for trustworthy see “faithful” at 1.5; for true see 3.7. If the passive implicit in trustworthy is difficult to express, it may be better to translate “everyone can believe these words; they are true.” Barclay translates “You can believe what I am saying, for it is true.” See similar statements in 15.3; 16.7; 19.2; 22.6; and in 19.9 “These are true words of God.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .